Security at Cave Hill Cemetery been stepped up with the site expected to be placed in lockdown in the next 24 hours.

The hearse that carried Muhammed Ali's body from Louisville airport to the A.D. Porter funeral home (Image: Stewart Cook)

Muhammad Ali in his prime (Image: Getty)

It is one America’s most beautiful and historic burial grounds.

Set in 296 acres the cemetery was opened in 1848.

It rose to national importance 13 years later when it became the site for the burials of Union soldiers who died in service.

Muhammad Ali on the Eamonn Andrews show with the host (Image: Getty)

In 1979 Cave Hill was listed on the American National Register of Historic Places.

Several famous people are buried at the site including KFC founder Colonel Harlan Sanders, Patty Hill, the primary school teacher who wrote the “Happy Birthday” as well as a British solider who died in the First World War.

Muhammad Ali opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games (Image: Reuters)

On Thursday the Ali family will hold a private ceremony before then “inviting the world” to a public service the following day.

Ministers from several faiths will come together led by California imam and scholar Zaid Shakir.

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“It’s only fitting that the people have the opportunity to send him off with a very robust commemoration, so we thank the family for that,” Mr Shakir said.

The family have announced the pall bearers for the funeral.

Hollywood actor Will Smith who portrayed Ali in the movie ALI and former heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis, will be joined by relatives of the former Olympian to carry the coffin.

The full list is:

Will Smith

Lennox Lewis

John Grady - Muhammad Ali’s cousin

Ibn Ali - Muhammad Ali’s nephew

Komawi Ali - Muhammad’s former brother-in-law

Jerry Ellis - brother of Jimmy Ellis, Ali's former sparring partner

Jan Wadell - Muhammad Ali’s first cousin

John Ramsey - Muhammad Ali’s family friend

Before Friday’s service Ali’s coffin will be driven through Louisville passing the areas the former three time heavyweight champion knew well.

Muhammad Ali reading the Daily Mirror (Image: Mirrorpix)

Eulogies will be read by his wife Lonnie, former US President Bill Clinton and Hollywood actor Billy Crystal.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and King Abdullah II of Jordan will be among the foreign dignitaries attending.

A makeshift memorial has been created outside Scottsdale Osborn Medical Center (Image: Getty)

The Dalai Lama was invited to the memorial but cannot attend.

In addition an Islamic funeral prayer program will be held on Thursday where 18,000 tickets have been allocated for the event.

One of the final photos taken of Muhammad Ali (Image: Getty)

Family spokesman Bob Gunnell said the family has been working on the details of these public memorials for the past 10 years or so.

“Everything that we’re doing here was blessed by Muhammad Ali and requested,” he explained.

Muhammad Ali exulting in victory over Sonny Liston (Image: Getty)

“He wanted the memorial service to reflect his life and how he lived. And he wanted everyone to be able to attend.

"He was the people’s champ, so we wanted the memorial service to reflect that.”

Gunnell explained how Ali had been involved in planning his own service and before his death had reassured his friends and family he was at ease with talking about his death.

The family spokesman recalled the boxer’s own words during meetings to plan his the funeral.

Documentary When We Were Kings about Muhammad Ali

"It's okay,” Ali would say. “We’re here to do the job the way I want it. It's fine."

It was the father-of-nine’s wish to have his memorial service in an arena saying he wanted ordinary fans to attend not just stars and VIPs.

Ali wanted representatives for all religions to have a voice while honouring the traditions of his Muslim faith.

Gunnell said the funeral plans were tweaked in the days leading up to his death.

For several years the family had planned to have Ali’s body lie at the Muhammad Ali Centre but it was changed at the last minute after his wife, Lonnie, became concerned it would cause the centre to be shut down through the number of people attending.

She along with his children decided instead to have his body driven through a miles-long procession through his beloved home town.

The cortege will drive past the centre built in his honour, the street named after him and through the neighbourhood where he grew up, raced bikes and shadowboxed outside his childhood home.